Over the years Pro Bowl guard Davin Joesph has been a big part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ offense, but last season he suffered from a torn ACL before the regular season could even begin. Joseph’s injury during week three of the preseason against the the New England Patriots kept him out the entire season. Joseph underwent knee surgery in late August, giving him nearly a year to recover before training camp began again. In early February, Joseph said that he was 99.9% healthy, but he did not play the first game against the Baltimore Ravens. I believe he didn’t play for precautionary reasons; I would assume that the Buccaneers’ coaching staff are handling Joseph’s knee carefully, to not risk him getting injured again. I would expect Joseph to perform either this week or next week in the preseason. When he does get back on the field, I would expect his knee not to be a factor in the future, as he has had plenty of time to rehabilitate and strengthen his knee. Before his injury, Joseph was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. With the addition of another Pro Bowl guard in Carl Nicks and tackle Donald Penn, the Buccaneers’ offensive line may be one of the best in the NFL. Last season without Joseph, quarterback Josh Freeman was only sacked 26 times, which was tied for second best in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos. With the return of Joseph and Nicks, you should expect the Buccaneers to let Freeman get sacked as little as possible. John Beauchamp is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers writer for www.RantSports.com Follow him on Twitter @John_Beauchamp or add him to your network on Google
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